Scientists believe they've found a way to turn beer into fuel

Scientists from the University of Bristol say they have found a way to turn beer into gasoline. Although it is only a demonstration, it has important implications that could help sustainable fuels.

Published in the journal Catalysis Science and Technology, the study analyzed several ways to develop ethanol, widely available material, in butanol, and thus reduce our dependence on diesel and gasoline.

Butanol is more beneficial than ethanol, since the latter can damage the engines and has a lower energy density than gasoline, and mixes very easily with water. The first is more profitable, and the team found a way to convert ethanol into butanol, thanks to beer.

"Turning beer into gas was fun, and we did it because we're close to Christmas. But in the end it has turned out to be a serious study, "says Duncan Wass, who led the research. "Beer is an excellent model for the mixture of chemicals that we would need to use in a real industrial process, so it shows that this technology is one step closer to reality."

To convert ethanol to butanol you need a catalyst, a chemical that accelerates and controls a chemical reaction. And its catalyst, composed in part of ruthenium and chlorine, successfully converted ethanol into butanol, or more specifically, isobutanol.

"Isobutanol is a perfect replacement for gasoline because it has a high amount of energy, an adequate octane number and compatibility with current technology on engines," the team says in its article.

Showing that this process works means that it can be extended to industrial levels. Actually, beer would not be used as we know it, but the process by which ethanol would be obtained from fermentation would produce something similar to beer.

"The alcohol in beverages is actually ethanol, exactly the same molecule that we want to convert into butanol as a replacement for gasoline," says the professor. "Therefore, alcoholic beverages are an ideal model for ethanol fermentation: and ethanol for fuel is essentially processed through a brewing process."

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Reference: Catalysis Science and Technology